Show review in a sentence: Matthieu Blazy ushers in his sophomore era at Chanel with a bang.
Designer: Matthieu Blazy
Location: Grand Palais
This fashion week feels like it belongs to Matthieu Blazy. Chanel’s latest collection had only just arrived in stores days earlier and already a kind of “Matthieu mania” was rippling through the crowd. By the time we gathered at the Grand Palais, the anticipation was high, with guests arriving clutching maxi flap bags, bowling bags and box bags fresh from the new drop.
The set was luminous, colourful cranes in the sky, hinting at something mid-creation. Chanel, after all, carries the weight of its lineage. Measured against the legacies of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld, it has long represented the pinnacle of aspiration. Yet this show suggested a recalibration. Perhaps our aspirations themselves have changed.
“I wish to create a canvas for women to be unapologetically who they are and who they want to be,” Blazy shared. And so they appeared on the runway in a spectrum of ages and attitudes, the casting spot on. Clothes followed suit: a frayed black tweed jacket and skirt set felt like codes gently unravelled, while an oversized ivory zip-up with black piping worn over a pleated skirt introduced a sportier mood. My favourite was a molten gold jacket and skirt that shimmered under the lights, part of a tinsel-like effect that ran throughout the collection. The suits presented in tweed, ribbed knits and natural gauze, amongst other materials.
Already, I find myself thinking about the pieces I would want to wear and the items that are destined to fly off the shelves. The belted skirts immediately caught my eye, along with the red-and-white mules, a half-crescent suede clutch and the shimmering co-ords. And then came the final look, simple and muted with a small flower detail at the back. It was such a subtle moment, but completely Chanel. That last turn gave me goosebumps.
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